Staff Training Through Collaboration: The Training Resources Center

As fiscal resources for mental health programs dwindle, it is becoming increasingly important to preserve non-direct-service priorities such as staff development. The West Virginia Training Resources Center, a collaborative program operated by the West Virginia Department of Health and the West Virginia University department of behavioral medicine and psychiatry, addresses problems of staff training in the state mental health service system. The authors discuss the development of the center and its functions as provider of training programs, sponsor of statewide training conferences, and clearinghouse of information and expertise. They also discuss problems stemming from the increased need for continuing education for paraprofessionals, the use of outside consultants, and the relationship between academia and the health service sector.